The Smile of Unbearable Compassion

Salaam and Greetings of Peace:

There are many statues of the Buddha, the various girths and expressions perhaps symbolizing his many teachings, or the culture in which his teachings took root. There is one expression, however, that is shared by a number of the statues – a calm face and demeanor, with a tiny smile at the corner of the mouth,

This is called the Smile of Unbearable Compassion.

Alhamdulillah! Is this the compassion God has for us, all-embracing for the real misery and grief in the world? Perhaps this is the compassion of Jesus, that caused him to die for the sins and sorrows of the world, or the compassion of the enlightened Buddha for the suffering he observed around him. It may be a part of what is meant by the Talmudic saying in the Undaunted post.

On the Sufi path, to love God is to love and serve His creation. To do what we can in the world we live in, in the time given to us. Inshallah, each small act of love, kindness, mercy and service, makes this compassion a little more bearable.